[The Relic]

i got 2 turkeys for christmas dinner the first died after either a fight with my rooster or was attacked by the pigs (i reckon a fight with the rooster as it was the male turkey and he only had a little wound to his wing) but i think he was sickly. just before he died he vomited this yellow stuff. i found during an autopsy his liver had white blotches running through it. the second i had to decapitate as she stopped moving around and was pooing similar yellow stuff but i didnt preform an autopsy.

any turkey keepers have any ideas on what may be the cause

[harry]

I thought it was very risky keeping turkeys on ground that has had chickens on during the past 3 years? I dont grow turkeys anymore, i used to but got free range chickens now, (cant mix)  to expensive as chicks, long term project (6 months +), risk of dieing, risk of getting nicked just before xmas etc etc............. one year i paid £35 for a free range bird from the farm shop... ok.... next year asda were selling off some large frozen birds in november 16lb or so £5-£6, i got 3.... got the jamie oliver cd on how to do a turkey his way, ie cook on a trivott of large cut veg, loads of butter under the skin blah blah blah, fantastic better than the £35 free range bird, as its useually a once a year bird thats what weve done for last 3 years.

[shetlandpaul]

harry there is no risk to your hens. its the tuks that are at risk. if you keep the whole flock wormed you should be fine. the bug sounds more like coccsicosis sorry about the spelling. your hens will need treating if the turks died from it. we had the first attack this year of it and that really sounds like it. most birds should be fine by the way.

[harry]

yup i knew that i thought that might be why her turkeys died, trouble is the bug stays in the ground for up to 3 years, thats why you should keep turkeys of old chicken ground. strangly i can keep my wild usa turkeys with chickens.

[shetlandpaul]

could it be the more messed about turkeys are weaker. the white ones do seem to die easier. hence your wild ones are tougher. ours have been mixing with hens for the last two years. plus our hens are that free range they get every where.

[dixie]

Sounds like Blackhead to me!  chickens carry it and the protozoa live in the ground for years! Turkeys are very susceptible and need worming every 3 weeks for 7 days until the age of 18 weeks by which time they will be immune! Obvious signs are yellow frothy droppings, looking limp and lifeless and usually die within 24/48 hours, there is no licensed treatment that works although Tylan can be given with a 'fingers crossed' approach!

[shetlandpaul]

harry think you bought 18 pound turkeys for a fiver. just imagine the quality of life they had. i would have probably done the same but its not good. at 27p a pound iy tells it all. i think you will have problems finding that bargin this year there is ment to be a shortage. they did not order enough. so i think watching your turkeys may be wise.

[harry]

they  were selling them the year everyone was worried about bird flu so had loads to clear as lots of people stopped buying them......especially in my area which is Bernard Matthews country and he had  bird flu in his premises. they were massivly reduced. as far as ime concerened it was already dead and frozen, so someone was going to buy it so i did.. you cant raise any turkey not even in china and sell it for £5

[shetlandpaul]

with your own feed supply you could just but i agree. but why should people expect a big hunk of meat at less than it can be raised. i wonder if mr matthews would have faired as well if he had been a smallholder. i honestly dont like frozen turkey it ends up leaking water for ages. i wonder what the quantity of water is in one. a oven ready chicken from tesco was rated at 84% with 4% pork. we keepputting off the dispatching of the young cocks im a big softy. the trouble is they are better looking and bigger than there dad.